Security, economic development and amenities will be top priorities
DAVID TAFFET | Senior Staff Writer
Taffet@DallasVoice.com
Improvement districts have been created around Dallas and in other cities to enhance public safety and security, to design and construct public infrastructure and to enhance pedestrian amenities. Now the Gayborhood is getting an improvement district of its own.
Most of the improvement districts that are chartered by the city are designated “public”and referred to as “PIDs.” The new Cedar Springs Improvement District will be modeled after an improvement district in The Woodlands, near Houston, that is chartered by the state and has even more ambitious plans than most Dallas PIDs, according to the organizer Mike Hendrix.
The enabling legislation will be sponsored by state Rep. Rafael Anchia, who represents parts of Oak Lawn.
Boundaries for the new CSID are Oak Lawn Avenue, Maple Avenue, Inwood Road and Lemmon Avenue. Along Inwood, both sides of the street will be included, so Resource Center and Cathedral of Hope will be part of the district.
Both sides of Maple but only the north side of Oak Lawn will be included. And along Lemmon, both sides of the street will be part of the district, except for the few blocks north of the tollway that are in Highland Park.
The Uptown PID was first created in 1993 and runs from Woodall Rodgers to Haskell Avenue and from Central Expressway to the Katy Trail. About 2,181 properties are included.
Maintaining common areas and lighting are among the services provided by the PID.
The Oak Lawn-Hi Line PID is centered around Hi Line Drive in the Design District. Created in 2009 with just 47 properties, litter and graffiti control are among its chief functions. Landscaping and street furniture enhance its public spaces.
Security is among the chief concerns of the Cedar Springs district.
“We’re going to get some security grants,” Hendrix said.
He said when Nazi protesters showed up at Cathedral of Hope, it took an hour before police showed up and made them stop blocking the entrance to the property. Hamburger Mary’s had a similar problem with the group.
And when the Hidden Door had an incident in its parking lot, it was five hours before police arrived. The bar’s own security took care of it.
“So, we began to look at what we could do,” Hendrix said. “We’re talking 24-hour patrol and mounted patrol.”
In addition to security for the area, he said, The Woodlands Improvement District supports the arts, commerce, beautification and economic development. Hendrix envisions working with Visit Dallas to promote events in the area like Latinx Pride, Halloween on Cedar Springs or arts festivals.
He’d like the new organization to work with developers to bring new businesses to the blighted area along Maple Avenue with few buildings left between the Tollway and Kroger at Medical Center Drive.
There are three parks within the area that are rarely used: Craddock Park along Lemmon Avenue at the southbound entrance to the Tollway, Cherrywood Park on Hudnall Street at Cedar Springs and Maria Luna Park on Maple at Hawthorn. Security — along with some work with the Park Department — could turn these parks into neighborhood amenities that would be used by area residents.
Hendrix suggested working with the LGBTQ Arts and Commerce Group founded during the last session of the Texas Legislature to fight any anti-drag bills that are introduced. Drag is big business in Oak Lawn, yet a Fort Worth representative has already introduced at least one bill that threatens the profession.
On Monday mornings, Cathedral of Hope feeds homeless youth that live in the area, connecting them with options like drug detox facilities and housing provided by Dallas Hope Charities.
The various projects would be funded with a voluntary fee. One Dallas PID charges commercial properties 15 cents per $100 value. Hendrix said apartment properties would be included, but condominiums would not, because apartment buildings are considered commercial properties, while condos are private residences.
The goals of the Cedar Springs Improvement District, Hendrix stressed, are safety and security throughout the area, new amenities and a flourishing business community with new bars, arts organizations, theaters, restaurants and stores opening.
The Maple Avenue Redevelopment Corporation (supervised the street scape improvements, the Bell Tower construction underwritten by Kraft Food Corp, and built the Mercado retail building on Maple Avenue) was a major player in the ’80s before the real estate downturn. Ray Quintanilla at Quintanilla Furniture can give you the background on what the corporation accomplished.